This present disclosure is related to a hygienic article for males.
Incontinence in a man can arise for many reasons and at any age. For example vehicular accidents, sporting accidents, and any number of medical conditions can give rise to incontinence. Incontinence can also be a product of age, whereby a man's prostate becomes enlarged, surgery effects the nerves serving the bladder, or the man develops Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Incontinence in a man may present by the sporadic or continual trickling of urine from the penis, or may result in spontaneous release of the entire contents of the bladder.
In a hospital or nursing home catheters may be employed to direct the urine into a catchment bag for later disposal. Alternatively the catheter may be used to prevent the continuous or spontaneous release of urine until the patient or resident goes to the bathroom. Catheters are invasive to use and have been responsible for introducing infection, creating undesired health risks for an incontinent man.
Current substitutes to catheters designed to aid an incontinent man suffer from being conspicuous and bulky and may make noise when moving about. Thus they are embarrassing for males of any age to wear, and hamper mobility. Such incontinence products further suffer from not being tailored to target the specific area in which urine exits the body. Throughout the day a man's penis may not remain positioned such that urine may be collected into an incontinence pad or a diaper. This can cause embarrassment and is unhygienic. Furthermore the adult diaper or pad can be easily replaced only when a person is standing. The care giver will either have to move the patient or resident into a standing position, a task made especially challenging when a patient is also infirm and immobile, or continually roll and move the patient who is lying in bed to position the incontinence product underneath him. Among other problems, these obstacles may result in the incontinence diaper or pad being incorrectly positioned on the patient, or it may result in the incontinence diaper or pad being changed less frequently than desired. Additionally, the size of the conventional incontinence pad or diaper means that it will be in contact with areas of skin other than the person's penis. This provides for bodily fluids, such as urine, to be in contact, intermittently or continually, with a much greater area of the man's body, which is unsanitary and can cause skin irritation. Additionally, some prior male incontinence products have employed a clamping mechanism formed of plastic bars that pinch the penis to secure the product to the user. Such products have caused discomfort for user and also restrict blood flow in the penis often requiring that the product be periodically removed.
Using conventional incontinence products may have adverse psychological and emotional effects on the male wearer. For example the adult nappy or diaper may make the incontinent patient feel that he is being treated like a young child. Also, many incontinence products, such as the incontinence guard worn similarly to a woman's sanitary napkin, are associated with and have the appearance of products that a female might wear, causing the incontinent man to feel emasculated. The emotional and psychological effects associated with incontinence are compounded by the products currently available on the market. A male suffering from being incontinent is compelled to accept these emotional and psychological problems or is dissuaded from using the products altogether.
Male underwear garments are well known, such as, briefs, boxer shorts, boxer briefs, bikini briefs, thongs, jock straps, and variants thereof. Virtually every variant of male underwear includes a pouch for holding both the penis and scrotum. This construction may overly constrict or crowd the penis and scrotum, causing a reduction in blood flow to the genitals and potentially impairing, temporally or permanently, the function of the testicles. The over-crowding may also cause entanglements, sweating, sticking, irritation, abrasions, and misalignments.
The man who desires to be less confined by the constraints of the currently available underwear must forgo all protection and hygiene. This allows exposure to bodily fluids such as sweat and urine, which can cause damage to the skin due to excess moisture on the skin and also from irritation caused by the chemical makeup of the bodily fluids. Further harm to skin can arise from the friction between the man's penis and the inside surface of any clothing article the man may be wearing or the man's own thighs and groin area, and may exacerbate the irritant effects of sustained exposure to bodily fluids.
In view of the limitations of presently available products, there is a need for a hygienic article which can be easily and conveniently replaceable, and which offers the protection required by the incontinent male without the adverse emotional and psychological effects associated with products currently available. There is also a need for an article for a male to wear to overcome the problems with conventional underwear while offering hygienic protection.
Presently disclosed is a hygienic article for a male comprising a tube having a first end adapted to receive a limp penis and a closed second end, the tube being formed of breathable material, a retaining portion adjacent the first end of the tube adapted to retain the hygienic article on the penis without substantially constricting blood flow in the penis, and an absorbent material extending at least within the second end of the tube adapted to absorb fluids. The absorbent material may be provided with the tube or may be separately provided. In one embodiment, the absorbent material is may be replaced while the remainder of the hygienic article is reused.
The retaining portion may be adapted in many ways to retain the hygienic article on the penis. For example the retaining portion may comprise an elasticized band, or it may have elasticized thread woven into the breathable material of the tube adjacent the first end, both adapted to extend around the penis and to retain the hygienic article on the penis. Alternatively the retaining portion may comprise at least one elastic tie adapted to extend around the penis and to retain the hygienic article on the penis. Further the retaining portion may comprise at least one adhesive strip adapted to be secured to the penis or pelvic area to retain the hygienic article on the penis. The retaining portion may comprise silicone beading configured to retain the hygienic article on the penis.